A MAN who made ￡4.5 million selling his art ended up broke and homeless after losing it all.
Kevin Sharkey, 62, started painting at the age of 12 after he was placed back into the care system and once made ￡70,000 from a single piece.
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Kevin Sharkey lost his fortune and became homeless at one point in his life 3
One of Kevin's famed works called Moolah
Now one of Ireland's most successful artists, Kevin's path to the top was not always easy.
Kevin worked in a whole host of different jobs when he was younger, from being a cook, a cleaner, turning out as a television presenter and even writing music.
The millionaire only started painting professionally when he was 38 and made ￡4.5 million from art sales.
But he admitted he splurged it all away and ended up in debt and homeless.
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Speaking to The Telegraph he said: "Listen, I made four and a half million.
"I spent five and ended up broke and homeless. I remember sitting in a homeless shelter thinking how did I end up here?"
But in another twist of fate, Kevin managed to recoup his fortune through hard work and the experience he gained from the bitter wake-up call.
He added: "I haven’t stopped working since that day to make sure it never happens again.
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"So I know what it’s like not to be able to afford a cup of coffee or to have holes in your shoes."
After building himself back up financially, Kevin has sold thousands more paintings.
Kevin even sold one work for a whopping €82,000 (￡70,254).
He said: "The painting was called It’s The Devil Himself, which is what my mother used to say when I walked into the room when I was a kid."
Kevin's works have been sold to the likes of Bob Geldof, Kate Moss and Courtney Love.
A wise Kevin added: "I was a spender, but the experience of being homeless radically changed that.
"I thought it’s time to grow up a bit and get your priorities in the right order.
"I’m a better saver now than I ever was."
Although his art has by far been his most lucrative venture, Kevin has also made big money through a number of other ideas.
He said: "When CDs first came out, I sketched out an idea for a rack to store them in.
"I took it to an engineer and they charged me 15 or 20 grand to make a prototype, but I sold that prototype for €750,000."
Kevin has also worked as a songwriter, collaborating with stars such as the Boomtown Rats and Boney M.
And the talented artist even made an appearance on cult classic comedy Father Ted.
But he has also had some bad investments which left him in the red.
Kevin recalls when he first moved to London and had some friends who lived in Westbourne Grove, next to Notting Hill Carnival.
The artist put all his savings into Carnival t-shirts and was hoping to make a killing before cops blocked off the road just half an hour before the festival began.
He jokingly added: "I think I sold about six t-shirts to them and had about 5,000 left. I’m still using them as rags."
Kevin lives in Dublin with his dogs – Spookie and Biddy – and a magpie named Linda, and owns a gallery in the city.
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Kevin says that painting still gives him and other people so much joy and that he has no plans to retire.
The renowned artist said that he loves painting so much he would "hope to die with a brush in his hand".
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Kevin has made millions from his artwork